Mail-crane.



E. A. ROBINSON.

. MAIL CRANE.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV.14 1910.

Patnted Mar.7,1911.

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MAIL CRANE. APPLIOAIION FILED 110v. 14, 1910.

Patentd Mar. 7, 1911.

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E- A. ROBINSON.

MAIL CRANE.

urmonmn FILED NOV. 14, 1 910.

314 Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

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E ALONZO ROBINSON, OF PALMYRA, NEW YORK.

MAIL-CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

Application filed November 14, 1910. Serial No. 592,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E ALoNzo ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palmyra, in the county of \Vayne and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Cranes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to mail cranes for delivering mail bags to mail cars and for receiving mail bags from said cars in transit.

My mail crane is especially adapted for use on railroads where there are two or more sets or pairs of tracks, necessitating the crane being placed between the tracks in at least one direction. The cranes now generally in use on such railroads always rc-. main standing in an upright position where they of necessity come very close to moving trains. Many accidents, and even loss of lives, have resulted from the use of these rigid cranes.

It is the object of my invention to provide a mail crane, of simple and improved construction, which may be automatically dropped to a horizontal position near the level of the track as soon as the train to which the mail bag is to be delivered, has passed, and which need only be raised to an upright position a short time before the train is due. As my crane is normally arranged in its lowered horizontal position, where it does not project above the windows or platforms of the train, the accidents above referred to, are prevented.

Another object of my invention is to prevent the mail bags from being lost or cut up under the wheels which often results when the bags are thrown from the train.

Further objects will become apparent from the following description.

The invention also consists in the features of construction, combinations and arrange ments of parts, hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of the crane as it appears from the side of the track, showing a mail ba supported thereon. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the crane at an angle of -ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the crane as illustrated in Fig. 2, the lowered position of the lower bag-holding arm being shown in dotted lines as well as the corresponding positions of the latch, etc. which is operated by the dropping of said arm. Fig. a is a side elevation of the crane in its horizontal position, the bumper clamp being shown in section. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of said bumper clamp. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the spring-pressed locking lug which retains the crane in its extended position toward the track. Fig. 7 is a detailed view of the slotted plate engaged by said locking lug, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 2, taken through the horizontal slot in which works the releasing pin for the crane-supporting catch.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a foundation of concrete to which a metal bed-plate 2 is secured.

Hinged, as at 3, to said bed-plate is the base-plate 4 of the crane. Said base-plate is secured at its free edge to the bed-plate by means of a catch 5 having a hooked end 6 adapted to engage a lug 7 on the bed-plate, and also having its opposite end projecting above the baseplate and circumscribed in its movement by two lugs 8 on the latter plate. The bed-plate is preferably made with a smooth flat top, but the base-plate is formed with a central opening 9 and two small sockets 10 therein. Said sockets are arranged near the free edge of the base-plate and have seated therein small coiled springs 11, or equivalent resilient cushioning means, which protrude therefrom into engagement with the top of the bed-plate for the purpose hereinafter explained.

Fitted in the central opening 9, which extends entirely through the base-plate, is an upwardly extending sleeve or tube 12. The body or standard 13 of the crane extends down into this sleeve and is fixed therein against longitudinal movement, but so that it is capable of rotating through an arc of ninety degrees, by a radially extending pin 14 projecting through and adapted to work in a horizontal slot- 15 in the lower portion of said sleeve. Said slot is concealed by a collar 16 mounted loosely'around the base of the sleeve and capable of moving with the pin. It will be understood that the slot 15 extends one quarter of the way around its sleeve in order to give the pin 14 its requisite movement of ninety degrees. The pin and slot are so placed that the former will engage the protruding end of the catch and release the hooked end of said latch from the lug T on the bed-plate, at the end of the stroke of said pin.

The body or standard of the crane is normally held in the position where its pin let is at the end of its stroke just indicated, by means of a helical spring 17 housed within the sleeve 12 and having its opposite ends secured respectively to said sleeve and the standard 13. The upper end of this spring may be dropped into any one of a series of notches 18 in the upper end of the sleeve, whereby the tension of the spring may be varied to take up wear, etc. The standard 13 is tubular. Its upper end is bent to form. a rigid horizontal arm 19. At an intermediate point on the standard, there is fixed a collar 20 having projecting lugs 21 between which is pivoted another arm 22 extending in the same direction as the arm 19. The pivot of the arm 22 is horizontal so that said arm is capable of swinging up and down to the limited extent allowed by a slot 23 in the standard through which the inner end of said arm extends. The inwardly extending end of this arm is connected by a wire or rod 2%, inside of the tubular standard, to a downwardly spring pressed plunger 25 in the lower end of said standard. The spring 26, which presses said plunger, abuts at its upper end against a cross pin 27 in the standard just below the cap 28 which fits around the standard and closes the upper end of the sleeve.

The bottom end of the standard is fitted with a cap 29 through which the plunger 25 extends and which is provided with a vertical slot 30 diagonally thereof to receive an edgewise plate or locking piece 31 rigidly connected to and projecting below the plunger. The spring 26 normally holds the locking piece 31 in position projecting below the cap 29 where it is capable of engaging a diagonal groove 32 in the upper surface of a plate 33 secured over the bottom of the central opening 9 in the base-plate. Opposite edges of the locking-piece 31, at opposite sides of its axis, are rounded or beveled, as at 34: in Fig. 6. Portions of the opposite edges of the groove 32 in the plate 33 are also rounded or beveled, as at 35 in Fig. 7, to correspond with the end of the locking piece 31. Said groove and locking piece are so arranged with respect to the arms of the crane that said locking piece engages the groove when the standard of the crane is turned to the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 with its arms extended toward the track.

It will be understood that when the crane is in the position just referred to, the locking piece holds the standard against rota?- tion, and the crane is retained in its upright position by the catch 5 engaging the lug 7 on the bed-plate. The locking piece or latch remains in engagement with the groove in the plate because the lower arm of the crane is supported by its attachment to the mail bag 36. lVhen the parts are in the positions indicated, the pin let extends in the opposite direction from the standard from that in which the mail bag-carrying arm extends, said pin being arranged at an angle of substantially ninety degrees from the projecting end of the catch 5. Now, when the crane on the mail car of a passing train snatches the bag from the stationary crane at the side of the track, the lower arm 22 drops and in doing so raises the locking pin or latch from the groove in the plate 33 by reason of the wire connection 2t between the inner end of the arm 22, 011 the other side of its fulcrun'i, and said locking piece. As soon as the locking piece is released, the spring 17 causes the standard to rotate through an arc of ninety degrees toward the hinge connecting the base-plate to the bed plate, thereby bringing the pin 14c into en gagement with the projecting end of the catch 5 and releasing the latter from the lug 7. Just as soon as said catch is released, the springs 11, interposed between the free edges of the base plate and bed-plate, operate to throw the crane down into horizontal position, as illustrated in Fig. at, with its arms arranged in the vertical plane of its standard. It will be understood, of course, that vhen the crane is to be used for supporting a mail bag, it is raised to vertical position and its standard turned to bring the arms to their positions extending toward the track. The rotation of the standard in this direction, after the crane has been raised to vertical position, releases the catch 5 and allows itto automatically engage the lug 7, by gravity, thereby locking'the crane in its upright position. The raising of the arm 22 to connect it to the lower end of the mailbag allows the locking-piece or latch 31 to drop into the groove 32 in the plate 33 thereby retaining the standard against rotation. The lower arm 22 of the crane is preferably provided with a mail bag catcher 37 which extends in the direction from which the.

train approaches and is adapted to take the bag delivered from the car, thus avoiding the possibility of this bag becoming lost or mutilated by getting under the wheels of the train or otherwise. The fall of the crane to horizontal position is cushioned by a coiled spring 38 arranged near the bedplate and seated in the concrete foundation. The crane is yieldingly held in its horizontal position by a bumper clamp 39 also mounted on the concrete foundation. The clamp portion comprises two flared spring arms 40 extending upwardly from a sleeve 41. The bumper consists of a plunger 42 seated upon a coiled spring 43 inside of the sleeve 41. The upper projecting end of the plunger carries a channeled piece at adapted to receive the standard. of the crane after it has passed between the spring arms of the clamp. The lateral edges of said channeled piece are notched, at 4-5, to fit around the spring arms 40 so that the latter can grasp the crane while it is supported by the channeled piece.

I claim:

1. A mail crane of the character scribed comprising a hinged base plate, a standard rotatably mounted on said base plate, means to support the crane in a vertical position with its arms extending toward the track, and means to auton'iatically rotate the standard and turn the crane down to horizontal position, with its arms arranged in the vertical plane of its standard, when the mail bag 18 removed from said arm.

2. In a mail crane of the character described, the combination, with a bed-plate, of a base-plate hinged thereto, a standard rotatably mounted on the base-plate, means to lock the free edge of the base-plate to the bed-plate whereby the standard is supported in an upright position, resilient means projecting from the under surface of the baseplate into engagement with the bedplate when said plates are locked together whereby the base-plate and the standard carried thereby are thrown over when the locking means are released, means to retain the standard in position with its arms extending toward the track when av mail bag is supported on said arms, means to automatically rotate the standard to bring its arms parallel to the track when the bag is removed from said arms, and means to release said locking means automatically when the standard is rotated.

8. A mail crane of the character described comprising a hinged base-plate, a standard rotatably mounted on said baseplate, locking means on the base-plate for supporting the standard in an uprightposition, means to retain the standard in a position with its arms extending toward the track when a mail bag is supported on said arms, means to automatically rotate the standard to bring its arms parallel to the track when the bag is removed from said arms, means on said standard for engaging the locking means which hold the standard in upright position, whereby said locking means is released at the end of the arc of rotation of the standard, and means to au- 7 groove when the mail bag is removed, means ton'iatically throw said standard down into horizontal position when said locking means is released.

4. A mail crane of the character described comprising a hinged base-plate, a

sleeve mounted on said base plate and having a horizontal slot therein, a standard seated in said sleeve, a pin fastened to said standard and extending radially through the slot in said sleeve, a helical spring mounted in the sleeve and connected at its opposite ends to the standard and the sleeve, locking means on the base-plate tor sup porting the standard in an upright position, arms on the standard for holding the mail bag, means to retain the standard in position with its arms extending toward the track when a mail bag is supported on said arms, means to automatically release said holding in sins when the mail bag is removed whereupon the helical spring will rotate the standard bringing its arms to a position parallel to the track, the rotation of said standard ln'inging the radial pin into releasing engagement with the locking n1 ans on the base-plate, which supports the standard in an upright position, and means to automatically throw the standard over into horizontal position when said locking means is released.

A mail crane of the character described comprising a base-plate, a sleeve mounted on said base-plate, a standard seated in said sleeve, a grooved plate at the bottom of said sleeve, a downwardly springpressed locking piece mounted in the lower end oi said standard, a rigid upper arm on the standard, pivoted lower arm connected to said locking piece, the latter adapted to engage the groove in the plate at the bottom of the sleeve when the standard is turned to a position with its arms extending toward the track and a mail bag is supported on said, arm, the weight of said lower pivoted arm operating to raise the locking piece from its groove when the mail bag is removed, and means to automatically rotate the standard to bring its arms into a position parallel with the track when said locking piece is released.

6. A mail crane of the character described comprising a hinged base-plate, a sleeve mounted on said base-plate, a standard seated in said sleeve, a grooved plate at the bot tom of said sleeve, a downwardly springpressed locking piece mounted in the lower end of said standard, a rigid upper arm on the standard, a pivoted lower arm connected to said locking piece, the latter adapted to engage the groove in the plate at the bottom of the sleeve when the standard is turned to a position with its arms extending toward the track and a mail. bag is supported on said arm, the weight of said lower pivoted arm operating to raise the locking piece from its jto automatically rotate the standard to bring its arm into a position parallel with the track when said locking piece is re leased, means for holding the crane in an upright position when the arms are extended toward the tack, and means to automatically release said holding means and throw the crane over to a horizontal position when the standard is rotated.

7. The combination, with a hinged baseplate, of a mail crane mounted thereon, means to automatically throw the crane down into horizontal position when the mail bag is removed therefrom, cushioning means arranged near the hinged base-plate, and a bumper clamp adapted to grasp the crane in its lowered position.

8. The combination, with a mail crane hinged to turn from a vertical to a horizontal position, means to retain the crane in an upright position when a mail bag is supported thereon, means to automatically throw the crane down into horizontal position when the lnail bag is removed, and a bumper clamp comprising resilient arms adapted to grasp the crane in its horizontal position, and a cushioned channeled piece arranged between said arms, the edges of said channeled piece being notched to fit around said arms for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

E ALONZO ROBINSON. \Vitnesses S. GEORGE TRULL, S. H. VAN ALsrINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

